Our lives in the Peace Corps

Piles of dried and smoked shrimp. Combined with palm oil, tomato paste, ginger, garlic and hot peppers, the dried shrimp are used to make the tasty and ubiquitous “ja”, a sauce that is put on rice or bread. All of the ingredients are ground together before then cooked to a thick, smooth reduction. Fresh shrimp are available in fancier markets that cater to wealthy Beninese and foreigners.

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